Developed by Michol Dalcourt, ViPR comes in rubber tubes ranging from 4kg to 20kg.

There are currently 9,000 exercises which are adaptable for everyone, from beginners to elite athletes, with gym chains and sports clubs, including Virgin Active, David Lloyd Leisure, Esporta, Equinox, Fulham Football Club and London Irish Rugby Union Football Club among current users.

Paralympian Karen Darke has also been using ViPR as part of her preparations for London 2012, and said: “Being paralysed from the chest down, my balance is poor due to lack of core muscle function, meaning I usually train one arm at a time with traditional weights. The pipe-like design of ViPR helps me compensate for poor balance, enabling me to train both arms simultaneously, better and harder than before.”

“ViPR is in a league of its own – an innovative and simple bit of kit that’s revolutionised my time in the gym.”

FitPro global commercial director Andy Jackson said of the nomination: “ViPR has had a tremendous impact during its first year in health clubs, and the feedback we’ve had from our clients and users of ViPR has been fantastic. We’re looking forward to spreading the ViPR word even further next year.”

The National Fitness Awards will be held on 25 November.